You might have already heard the term “health savings account” from friends or family who have one; or perhaps more recently in the news during talks about government health care reform. What is a Health Savings Account? A Health Savings Account (or HSA) is simply a savings account specifically meant to be used for health-related bills. Often, patients choose to use their HSA for medical bills not covered by their [...]

As you’ve likely seen, all health insurance plans offered now must fit into one of the four metal categories: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. These categories are based on how you and your health plan split the costs of your healthcare. What do insurance metal categories mean? These plans will directly correlate into how much you pay for your premiums and out of pocket costs: Metal categories have nothing to [...]

Why work with an insurance agent? This is a question we get asked a lot. The truth is: the choice is yours and you don’t have to use an agent when it comes to enrolling in a plan. The pricing will be the same regardless of whether you choose to go through an agent, or purchase insurance on your own. At NW Benefit Advantage, we believe in transparency with our [...]

When applying for individual health coverage, you have two options: you can either apply through the health market exchange or go direct with a carrier. While most plans are available on and off the exchange, some are only offered through the exchange. Likewise, there are some carriers who only participate in the individual market off of the exchange. However, all plans offered on and off the exchange are ACA compliant and [...]

The official Open Enrollment period for 2017 begins on November 1, 2016 to January 31, 2017. November 1, 2016 – First day you can apply or change current coverage for a 1/1/17 effective date December 15th, 2016 – Last day to apply in order for your coverage to be in effect with a 1/1/17 effective date January 31st, 2016 – This is the last day to apply for coverage for [...]

In order to see if you will qualify for the Advanced Premium Tax Credit you must provide information about your household and income. For most people, a household consists of the tax filer, their spouse if they have one, and their tax dependents, including those who don’t need coverage. If you plan to claim someone as a tax dependent for the year you want coverage, do include them on your application. If [...]